Western Music — Textbook & Study Material

Download the official textbook for Western Music and see the full chapter list so you know exactly what to cover.

Official textbook download

Western Music — official textbook — Free download from the official source.

What you will study (chapters)

Chapter 1: Four-Part Harmony and Chords
Chapter 2: Dominant Seventh Chords, Inversions and Modulation
Chapter 3: Figured Bass, Unfigured Bass and Phrase Construction
Chapter 4: Melody Writing, Rhythmic Structure, Phrasing and Harmonic Analysis
Chapter 5: Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36
Chapter 6: Bach: Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in G Minor, Book I
Chapter 7: Schubert: Erlkönig (The Erl King)
Chapter 8: César Franck: Violin Sonata, Last Movement
Chapter 9: Rhythm Dictation
Chapter 10: Melodic Dictation
Chapter 11: Diatonic Interval Recognition
Chapter 12: Cadence Recognition
Chapter 13: Principal Chord Recognition
Chapter 14: Simple Modulation Recognition

Frequently asked questions

Is the Western Music textbook available for free?

Yes — the book linked above is a free download. We link to the source rather than re-hosting it, so you always get the current edition. Check the edition against the syllabus for your exam year.

Is the Western Music textbook enough to score well, or do I need extra notes?

The official textbook is the core — most exam questions are set directly from it, so read it thoroughly first. Add concise notes and solved past papers for revision and exam practice rather than switching to unofficial books.

How should I study the Western Music textbook chapter by chapter?

Cover the high-weightage chapters first (use the exam pattern as a guide), make a one-page summary per chapter, and immediately solve a few past-paper questions on it. Active recall beats passive re-reading.

How can I prepare for Western Music faster?

Begin with the most-frequently-asked topics and the last few years of question papers, then test yourself under timed conditions. If you want guided help, you can use the free AI study tutor for Western Music — practise past-paper questions and get instant feedback — or a focused Western Music study guide that condenses the syllabus into the topics that matter most — both are free to start.